File-container.



P. S. MILLICE.

FILE CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. m1.

1,207,066. Patented D00. 5,1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 1. 1 271,

5 12 men; Z41":

P. S. MILLICE.

FILE CONTAINER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 191i.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 IJ/z'fu wired:

PAUL S. MILLICE, OF MIAMISBURG, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FIRE-PROOF FURNITURE AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FILE-CONTAINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed November 18, 1911. Serial No. 661,085.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL S. MILLICE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Miamisburg, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in File-Containers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to file-containers, and it is the object of my invention to so construct a file-container and the filing elements received thereby and the separating shelves and partitions between the filing elements in the container, that a prime-unit of cross-sectional size is provided, and the interiorof the file-container so arranged and the shelves and partitions provided in such manner as to form variously sized compartments in selective portions of the file-container which are multiplesof said prime-unit in cross-sectional dimensions, and to provide filing elements of various cross-sectional dimensions which are multiples of said primeunit of size arranged to be received in selective compartments of corresponding size so selectively formed in selective locations in the interior of the file-container.

My improved device further enables these compartments to be rearranged in different cross-sectional parts of the file-container, and permits the interior of the file-container to be rearranged without the employment of tools into compartments of different sizes bythe employment of the same shelves and partitions.

My invention provides extreme economy in the manufacture of the file-container, the means for forming the compartments, and the filing elements, and provides extreme adaptability of arrangement for the shelves, partitions, compartments, and filing elements, and enables an extremely large num her and variety of compartments to be formed within the file-container by employment of the same shelf and partition members, and has the further advantage that the extreme variety of arrangements permitted is accomplished by means which are duplicates of each other, thus ecornnnizing in manufacture and in the cost of the product, as thereby the variety of the members forming the means employed is reduced to the minimum.

My invention has the further advantage that by its employment the pvwvision of outer finished inclosing walls, which form part of the filing elements, is dispensed with, thereby economizing in cost of manufacture and in weight of materials employed, and enabling filing elements of lighter weight and of greater capacity, capable of being more easily handled, to be employed.

The invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter:

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of a file -container embodying my invention, showing a diagrammatic representation of the established prime-units, taken on a line corresponding to the line 11 of Fig. 3, and showing a series of compartments and filing elements arranged therein according to. said established prime-units, allowance being made for the t icknesses of the shelves and partitions, the ling elements and partitions being shown in front elevation. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a file-container illustrat ing my invention, showing its employment with another arrangement of compartments and filing elements, some of the compartments being empty for better illustration of the invention. Fig. 3 is a horizontal crosssection of a file-container embodying my invention, taken on. a line corresponding to the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4- is a vertical section of the same, partly broken away, taken on a line corresponding to the line H of Fig. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of shelves, partly broken away, and a partition therebetween, shown in separated relation in full lines, and indicating the partition received in the upper shelf in dotted lines and partly broken away. Fig. 6 is a bottom perspective view showing one end of the shelf partly broken away, for illustrating its construction and arrangement. Fig. 7 is a plan view with the top of the shelf broken away, showing its manner of connection with the wall of the container; and, Fig. 8 a vertical sectional detail of the same taken on a line corresponding to the line S-'S of Fig. 7.

11 represents the fireproof file-container, the body 12 of which comprises an inner sheet-metal wall. 13 forming an inner casing, an outer sheet-metal wall 14- forming an outer casing. a front sheetanetal wall .15 to which the inner and outer casings are secured, the front wall having a door-opening 16, in which a door or doors-17 are arranged to be received, as against a shoulder 18 which forms a rabbet 19 which surrounds said door-opening. The doors are hinged to the body of the container, for instance by hinges 20.

Each of the doors comprises preferably a front sheet-metal wallQl, a rear sheetmetal wall 22 between Which there is a sheet metal edge-wall 23, the door being received, in the door-opening of the body for closing the container.

terial is arranged to be received in the cavity 24 of the body between the inner and outer casings, shown by the body 25 of fireproofing material, and the cavity 26 in the door .is arranged to have a suitable body of fireproofing material received therein, shown at 27. Suitable locking mechanism is also provided for the doors, shown by the bolts 28 operated by the handles 29.

30, 30, represent the shelves. There is a suitable number of these shelves, depending on the number of compartments desired in vertical arrangement. I provide adjustable securing means between the shelves and the inner walls of the file-container, the adjustable means on said inner walls being equal distances apart in vertical arrangement.

31, 31, are partitions arranged to be received and .adjustably held between the shelves and between the top shelf and the inner top 32 of the inner casing, and between the bottom shelf and the inner bottom 33 of the inner casing, the adjusting means on said shelves and top and bottom walls being equal distances apart. in lateral ar-' to construct the shelves of a thickness corthe height of one of said prime-units. T have in Fig. 1 indicated these prime-units diagrammatically, the same being shown 'at 35, inclosed between the horizontal dotted lines 36, coincident with the centers of the adjusting means for the shelves on the walls of the file-container, and the vertical dotted lines 37, coincident with the centers of the adjusting means for the partitions. It will be further noted responding to In the present exemplification a suitable fireproofing maneonate from said figure that the boundary lines of said prime-units coincide with the centers of said shelves and partitions when adjusted in place, the said. shelves and partitions ex: tending for one-half their thickness into adjacent prime-units, for accommadating which, the adjusting means for the partitions, located at the respective ends of said shelves and the top and bottom inner Walls of the body of the file-container are so located that their centers are removed from the inner side walls of the file-container a distance equal to the width of a prime-unit plus one-half the thickness of a partition, indicated by the lateral end spaces 38, the intermediate ones of said adjusting means being so arranged that their respective distances at their centers from said inner side walls equal the width of multiples of said prime-unit plus said one-half of the thickness of the partition. This plus space of one-half of the thickness of the partition at each of the side "walls of the file-container together equal the width of a partition A partition placed in position will extend one-half into each of the two neighboring tiers of primeunits, in the present exemplification, so that the compartment formed Will have a width which represents a multiple of the width of said prime-unit, and this will be the case irrespective of the number of partitions employed. A similar arrangement is made for accommodating the half thickness of the shelves, bydistancing the centers of the top and bottom adjusting means on the Walls of the file-container for said shelves, from the top and obottom respectively of the inner casing of said file-container, a distance equal to the height of said prime-unit and onehalf the thickness of a shelf, as indicated by the top and bottom spaces 39, and 40, the intermediate ones of said adjusting means being so arranged that their respective distances at their centers from said top and bottom respectively of the inner casing equal the height of multiples of said prime-unit plus said one-half of the thickness of the shelf. This plus space of one-half the thickness of the shelf respectively at the top and bottom of the file-container together equal the thickness of a shelf. A shelf which is placed in position will extend one-half into each of the two proximate superposed layers of prime-units, so that the height of the compartment formed will be a multiple of the height of said prime-unit, and this will be the case irrespective of' the number of shelves placed in position.

The shelf is preferably formed of sheetmetal with a top 46, having a front 417 and a back 48 bent downwardly therefrom, the

lower ends of said front and back being re-- spectively formed with flanges 49, 50, bent therefrom toward the median line of said shelf, the said flanges projecting toward each other. Each of the ends of the shelf has a flange 51 bent downwardly from its top.

The rear wall of the inner casing is provided with apertures 55 arranged in a row in vertical alinement adjacent to each side wall .of said inner casing, the vertical distances from center to center of adjacent apertures coinciding with the vertical height of said prime-unit. Each side wall of the inner casing is provided with similar apertures 56 similarly arranged at heights coincident therewith. The back of the shelf is provided with rear pins 57 rigid therewith and projecting rearwardly from the rearwall of the shelf in position to be received in any one of the pair of apertures 55.

Each end flange of the shelf is provided with a spring-strip 60 rigidly secured to the flange-end, as by rivets 61, there being a pin 62 rigid with said spring-strip adjacent to its outer end, the outer end of the strip being curled inwardly for forming a finger-piece 63. 64 is a stop against which the finger piece is arranged to be received when urging the pin 62 inwardly. The pin 62 is received through an aperture 65 in the flange-end of the shelf and is arranged to be received in any of the apertures 56 for positioning the front of the shelf level with the rear of the shelf, the rear pins having been previously received in the desired apertures 55. The spring-strip at its outer end is of a width to fill the space 66 between the top 46 and the forward bottom fiange'49 of the shelf,

thereby relieving the pin 62 and the springstrip from tippin strain when weight is applied to the she f.

' The flanges 49, 50, at the lower part of the shelves, are provided respectively with indentations 71, 72. The lnside of the filecontainer at its top is rovided with flan es 149, 150, having simi ar indentations 1 1, 172. The tops of the shelves are provided with apertures 73, 74, the bottom of the inside wall of the file-container being provided with similar apertures, the forward ones of which are shown at 173. The partitions respectively comprise front metal posts 75 and rear metal posts 76 having a sheetmetal connecting web 77 between them, the connecting webs having loops 78, 79, at their respective front and rear ends received about said posts.

The indentations 71, 72, and the apertures 73, 74, are each arranged in pairs which coincide with each other in lateral positions and have their centers distanced apart to coincide with the cross-sectional horizontal lateral dimension of the prime-unit, instanced as five-eighths of an inch, and the width of any filing element is preferably a multiple of the width of said prime-unit, so as to be readily received in any corresponding compartment formed between the with the indentations in which the upper ends of said partitions have been previously received, the partition being of slightly greater height than the vertical distance between the shelves for laterally positioning said partitions at their tops by the walls of said indentations and at their bottoms by the walls of said apertures.

The construction forms a rigid shelf and partition construction. Partitions are provided whose exposed portions between shelves are of heights which are multiples of the height of said prime-unit, and I have found that by employment of my invention I can accommodate all standard filing elements by as few as six different heights of partitions.

For closing the interior of the file-container from the cavity in the wall of the container body at the apertures formed in the inner casing thereof, I provide channelstrips 85 received over the apertures 55, 56, A

and channel-strips 86 received under the apertures, in the bottom of the inside casing these channel-strips being suitably secured to said inside casing and located in the space between the inner and outer casings of the body of the file-container.

The filing elements are sheet-metal filing elements of which I have shown a number of different kinds arranged in different parts of the file-containerJEach of these filing elements is made in a cross-sectional size which is a multiple of the prime-unit, for being received in and filling the cross-sectional space of the compartment, formed as hereinbefore stated, in which the filing element is placed. These filing elements are devoid of inclosing or casing walls which are parts of said filing elements, the inclosing walls for the filing elements being formed by the shelves and partitions and the walls of the file-container.

My invention permits the compartments to be so arranged as to conveniently receive any of the filing elements made according to my invention, and are exemplified as arranged to be securely locked in the fireproof container by means of the fireproof door or doors filling the door opening.

My invention, further permits space to be economized as no inclosing or casing walls are provided for the separate filing elements, and provides for a convenient and economical interior of the file-container.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In combination, a file-container, and shelves and partitions arranged to be received in said file-container, the inside of said file-container and said shelves and partitions provided with adjusting means for vertically adjusting said shelves and laterally adjusting said partitions, the said adusting means dividing the interior of said file-container in height and width cross sectionally into divisions each of which is a prime-unit of space for selectively forming compartments of various cross-sectional din'lensions which are multiples of said prime-unit in various and selective parts of the interior of said file-container by means of said shelves and partitions, and filing elements of various cross-sectional dimensions which are multiples of said primeunit so as to be received in and to crosssect-ionally fill said compartments of various cross-sectional dimensions so selectively formed, for the purpose described.

2. In combination, a file-container, and shelves and partitions arranged to be received in said file-container, the inside of said file-container and said shelves and partitions provided with adjusting means for vertically adjusting said shelves and laterally adjusting said partitions, the said adjusting means dividing the interior of said file-container in height and width crosssectionally into divisions each of which is a prime-unit of space for selectively forming compartments of various cross-sectional dimensions which are multiples of said prime-unit in selective parts of the interior of said file-container by means of said shelves andpartitions, and filing elements made in various cross-sectional slzes which are multiples of said prime-unit so as to be received in and to cross-sectionally fill said compartments of various cross-sectional dimensions so selectively formed, the lateral, rear, top and bottom inclosing walls for said filing elements being formed solely by the walls of said file-container and said shelves and partitions when said filing elements are located in said compartments for the purpose described.

3. In combination, a file-container, and shelves and partitions arranged to be received in said file-container, the upright walls and the top and bottom walls of said file-container and said shelves and partitions providedwith adjusting means for vertically adjusting said shelves and laterally adjusting said partitions, the centers of adjacent ones of said adjusting means on the upright walls and on the top and bottom walls of said file-containerbeing respectively equal distances apart, and the end ones of said adjusting means having their centers distanced from the end of the wall on which they are respectively located, said equal distance plus one-half the thickness of the shelf or partition respectively co- A acting with said adjusting means, said adjusting means dividing the interior ofjsaid file-container in height and width crosssectionally between said walls into divisions representing a prime-unit of space for selectively forming compartments of various cross-sectional dimensions which are multiples of said prime-unit in selective parts of the interior of said file-container by means of said shelves and partitions, and filing elements which are made cross-sectionally in sizes which are multiples of said prime-unit for being received in and crosssectionallyfilling said compartments so formed, for the purpose described. 7

4. In combination, a file-container com prising side walls connected together and having a file-containing space therebetween, said file-container having a door-opening formed with a door-receiving rabbet in front of said side walls, shelves and partitions received in said file-containing space between said side walls, means between said side walls of said file-container and said shelves for adjusting said shelves to height in said file-container, said means comprising openings in said side walls, said means for adjusting extending through said openings in said side walls and provided with outer ends outside said side walls, means covering said openings and said outer ends, said outer ends being located Within the longitudinal projection of said rabbet of said door-opening, and means between said shelves and partitions for adjusting said partitions laterally between adjacent shelves.

5. In combination, a file-container comprising side walls connected together and having a file-containing space therebetween, said filecontainer having a door-opening formed with a door-receiving rabbet in front of said side walls, shelves and partitions received in said file-containing space between said side walls, means between said side walls of said file-container and shelves for adjusting said shelves to height in said container, said means for adjusting extending through said side walls and providedwith outer ends outside said side walls, said outer ends being located Within the longitudinal projection of said rabbet of said door-opening, and channel-strips secured at the outer faces of-said side walls covering said outer ends, substantially as described.

6. In combination, a file-container and shelves and partitions arranged to be received in said file-container, the upright side walls of said file-container and said shelves and partitions provided with adjusting means for vertically adjusting said shelves and laterally adjusting said partitions, the centers of adjacent ones of said adjusting means on the upright side walls of said filecontainer and on said shelves and partitions being respectively equal distances apart, and the end ones of said adjustin means between said shelves and partitions having their centers distanced from said upright side Walls said equal distance plus one-half the thickness of the partition coacting with said adjusting means, said adjusting means dividing the space in the interior of said file-container served thereby in height and width cross-sectionally between said side walls into divisions representing a primeunit of space for selectively forming compartments of various cross-sectlonal dimen- 'sions which are multiples of said prime-unit in selective parts of the interior of said file-container by means of said shelves and partitions, and filing elements which are made cross-sectionally in sizes which are multiples of said prime-unit received in and cross-sectionally filling said compartments so selectively formed, for the purpose described.

7. In combination, a file-container comprising a casing, shelves received in the interior of said casing, means between said shelves and casing for adjusting said shelves to heights, and partitions, said shelves comprising tops and inwardly bent bottom flanges, saidtops and bottom flanges provided with openings spaced apart in la'teral alinement, and said partitions provided with portions received in said openings and movable vertically therein.

8. In combination, a file-container comprising a casing, shelves received in the interior of said .casing, means between said shelves and casing for adjusting said shelves to height, and partitions, said shelves comprising tops provided with apertures and inwar ly bent bottom flanges whose inner ends are provided with indentations, said bottom flanges being spaced from said tops, said a ertures and indentations being in vertica alinements, partitions arranged to be received in said indentations and movable vertically therein and arranged to be dropped by vertical movement into said apertures.

9. In combination, a file-container comprising a casing, shelves received in the interior of said casing, means between said shelves and casing for adjusting said shelves to height, and partitions, said shelves comprising tops and inwardly bent bottom flanges spaced from said tops, said casing having a flange at the top ofits interior, the

tops of said shelves and the bottom of said casing provided with apertures, the said flanges provided with indentations in vertical alinements with said apertures, said partitions arranged to be received and movable vertically in said indentations, and said partitions having lower projections arranged to be dropped into said apertures.

10. In combination, a metal file-container comprising a metal casing formed with metal side walls provided with apertures, a

sheet-metal shelf having an end-flange and a front wall bent therefrom, said front wall having a bottom flange bent rearwardly from said front wall for forming a rearwardly opening channel, a spring-strip whose rear end is secured to said end-flange and whose front end is bent laterally and rearwardly for forming a finger-grip, the front end of the shank of said spring-strip and said finger-grip movable in said channel and guided against the upper and lower walls of the same, said end-flange having an aperture therein, and a pin on said spring strip received through said last-named aperture and arranged to be received in selective ones of said first-named apertures;

11. Ina file-container, a shelf consisting of a sheet of metal having a top, an endflange bent therefrom, a front bent from said top, and a bottom flange inwardly bent from said front and forming a rearwardly opening channel, the inner edge of said bottom flange being provided with partition-receiving recesses, and the said top provided with coincident partition-receiving apertures, and a shelf-supporting keeper having movement in said channel. and guided against tilting movement by the upper and lower walls of said channel.

12. In a file-container, a shelf consisting of a sheet of metal having a top, an endflange bent therefrom, a front bent from said top, and a bottom flange inwardly bentfrom said front and forming a rearwardly opening channel, the inner edge of said bottom flange being provided with partition-receiving recesses, and the said top provided with coincident partition-receiving apertures, and a shelf-supporting keeper having movement in said channel and guided against tilting movement by the upper and lower walls of said channel said end-flange provided with an aperture, and said keeper comprising a pin received through said aperture.

13. In a file-container, a plurality of shelves, each of said shelves consisting of a sheet of metal formed with a top and a bottom flange bent inwardly therefrom and spaced from said top, the rear edge of said bottom flange having indentations and said top having apertures coinciding with said indentations, and partitions each comprising cured to said post and the lower end of said post extending below the lower edge of said last-named sheet of metal, the upper ends of said partitions arranged to be received in said lndentatlons and said protruding lower ends arranged to be received 111 sald apertures. 

